I'm enjoying 'Life's Healing Choices' by Rick Warren. One area of weakness that I have identified in my life is procrastination. This article by Rick Warren helped me identify the reason, I hope it will help you too!Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. James 4:17 (NIV)"What have you been postponing? Ask yourself, "What am I afraid of?""The Bible has a lot to say about procrastination. Just take a minute to read today's verse and really let it sink in. I know the things I ought to do and I don't do them. And I know the things I shouldn't do and I do those. But I procrastinate on the things I really want to change in my life. Why? The Bible says you procrastinate for one of five reasons.1. Indecision. "A double minded man is unstable in all he does." (James 1:8 LB) Have you ever sent a waiter away at a restaurant because you couldn't make up your mind? Indecision causes you to postpone buying a car, choosing a college, getting married, buying new clothes, changing a job.2. Perfectionism. "If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done!"(Ecclesiastes 11:4 LB) If you wait for things to be perfect, you're going to wait a long time. You don't have the time or the money for things to be perfect.3. Fear. "The fear of man is a trap." (Proverbs 29:25 LB) Have you been postponing going to the dentist? Or having that needed surgery? Or getting into marriage counseling? Sharing your faith at work? Ask yourself, "What am I afraid of?" 4. Anger. "A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive." (Proverbs 18:9 GNT) Procrastination is a way to get back at people we don't like. We delay. Kids are great at procrastination. You ask them to clean up their room. They do it but they take so long doing it. One of the reasons may be that they're resisting your control. Procrastination is passive resistance. I don't want to do it because I don't like you telling me to do what I have to do. Anger causes us to put things off.5. Laziness. "Lazy people want much but get little, while the diligent are prospering."(Proverbs 13:4 LB) One of the most popular words in America is "easy." If it's easy, we like it. If it's hard, we don't like it. Can you imagine a best seller titled, "Ten Difficult Steps to Change Your Life" or "Fifteen Difficult Ways to Get in Shape"? If it's easy, we like it. If it's hard, we don't like it. The next time you find yourself procrastinating, stop and ask yourself why. Then ask God to help you overcome it so you can move forward and do what you need to do.Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

Everyone, if asked, would probably say that they know how to have a conversation with someone and think that they do a good job of communicating. Let's look at some facts presented in an interview on Midday Connection with Gordon and Gail MacDonald.5 LEVELS OF CONVERSATION:LEVEL 1: CLICHES---This is the necessary exchange, like Hello, Bye, How are you, good to see you.....Words said in passing. Very shallow conversationLEVEL 2: FACTS AND REPORTS------Telling what has occurred, telling about the events and happenings in your day. Talking about the latest news, the weather, your kids, what happened at work or school, etc. 75 % of the conversation between husbands and wives stays at this level and most of our conversations never go beyond this level.LEVEL 3: OPINIONS & JUDGMENTS-------- These are statements that need to be defended and they require that you open your heart and become vulnerable. They put you out there on a limb so to speak. This is a deeper level for someone who has earned your trust.LEVEL 4: FEELINGS--------This is telling how life is affecting you. Remember that words can bruise or wound. Feelings are not right or wrong and you should not say to someone sharing their feelings, "you shouldn't feel that way". When something sad is revealed or a hurt has been revealed to you, ask questions that draw out their feelings, like" What did that do to you", or "How did that affect you". These probing questions show that you really care and you are not trying to dismiss their feelings. We need to become a student of our spouse so we can understand them on this level. This is a deep level of conversation and you should only enter this level when you have established a level of trust with a "safe person". We need to care why someone is hurting.LEVEL 5: OPEN & TRUTHFUL EXCHANGES-------This is the deepest level and requires a rich, deep relationship in order to go here. This is where both open rebuke and affirmation occur and these words are always spoken in love after prayer and searching the scriptures. This level is never entered into lightly, but with much thought and prayerful consideration. If it does not cause us pain to rebuke someone, then we are Not in the spirit. Words are powerful!Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the power of life and death is in the tongue.COLOSSIANS 4:6---"Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person. (HCSB)When Paul was writing to the Corinthians and rebuking them for their sin, he had tears in his eyes and sorrow. It caused him pain as he was writing this letter to them.The story of the "Road to Emmaus" shows a great conversation when Jesus came along and talked with some of the disciples and they did not recognize that it was Him. Later they said, "Didn't our hearts burn within us" while the conversation was happening. (Luke 24:32)There are many great conversations in the Bible that show us this deep level of conversation. Search them and study them for yourselves.I KINGS 19 tells the story of Elijah after Mt Carmel when he was so downcast and the Lord came and ministered to him.Daniel 4: 27 tells about Daniel confronting king Nebuchadnezzar. He took a great risk, but God had led him and prepared him.Jesus and the Samaritan woman, King David when Nathan the prophet was sent to confront him, Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro who confronted him on how he was leading the people of Israel, etc. Search out these stories and others to see how the conversations went and what resulted from them.We have a universal need to talk effectively to each other, so let's learn how to do it well in a meaningful way. It is important to remember that these conversations can also be between non-believers. Sometimes we think we cannot have real, meaningful conversations unless they are with a believer, but we miss out on some real benefits if we avoid these. These conversations sharpen you and help you grow and challenge you to really know what you say you believe.Wisdom, prayer, timing, sensitivity----all of these are necessary for great conversations.Great conversations start with great questions like: "what are your greatest challenges", "what is the Lord teaching you right now", "what is the best part about your life", or ask them to to tell you their story in 4 minutes and really listen. Great questions will open places within people that perhaps no one has touched before. Be an observer of people and have genuine love and compassion for them. Great conversation happens in the "cradle of great love"!!

Do you ever have trouble sleeping? In the last few years, I have been introduced to sleep deprivation and the reasons are many. First I thought I had too much caffeine. Then I checked what I ate that day – did I eat late, or too much sugar, not enough protein? But then it went away and came back again. So I figured, it must be hormones. It is always a good thing when you can figure out why you have a problem, because then you can finally start doing something about it.But sometimes we don’t sleep well, because we have too much going on in our lives, and we constantly thinking about those things, never rest our minds: jobs, husband’s jobs, children’s health, finances etc. I’m not saying you and I worry – though sometimes we probably do – but not be able to turn it off for a long period of time can be detrimental to our sleep. I would like to share some tips with you and some verses from God’s Word that might help you turn it off and rest peacefully.

1. God works the nightshift so you don’t have to.“Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.” Psalm 121:4

2. You may not know what the future holds, but you do know who holds the future! If you have a relationship with Jesus, you trusted Him for salvation, than you know who holds your future. He is Sovereign over everything in your life and He has a plan. Trust Him!“He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.” Dan 2:22

3. God’s got the whole world in His hand, surely He’s got your whole world in His hand as well.“I will both lie down andsleep in peace, for You alone, Lord, make me live in safety.” Psalm 4:8

Now here are some practical ideas to help optimize your sleep from Dr. Mercola:

Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible.

Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F.

Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed

Avoid using loud alarm clocks

Reserve your bed for sleeping.

Get to bed as early as possible.

Don't change your bedtime.

Establish a bedtime routine

Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed.

Go to the bathroom right before bed.

Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed.

Also eat a small piece of fruit.

Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars.

Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed.

Wear socks to bed.

Wear an eye mask to block out light.

Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more).

No TV right before bed.

Listen to relaxation CDs.

Read God’s Word or something uplifting.

Journaling

If All Else Fails - Increase your melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night.

If that isn’t possible, you may want to consider a melatonin supplement. In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue. Melatonin is a completely natural substance, made by your body, and has many health benefits in addition to sleep.

“…let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Each year when one of my sons celebrates a birthday, we reminisce about their “birth” days. Recently, my oldest son decided to inquire specifically about the labor and delivery process of his birth. Both of my sons were born via scheduled C-section surgeries because my first son refused to turn and change directions. This action in turn affected the son who would be born two years later warranting another scheduled C-section because of the risk of a natural delivery process. Why? Because now my abdomen had a major scar from the incision made to bring forth my first born son. With his breached position, a natural delivery was not feasible and could have caused fatal results for the both of us. This created a problem, for I could not deliver this child on my own. I needed help…from someone who was more qualified than me, who knew how to deliver this child, and was capable of accomplishing the work it would take to save us both. A physician who understood the seriousness of the need, valued the precious life involved, and recognized the joy that would come from the resulting scar. I did not mind the pain that would come from surgery nor the scar that would be left to remind me of what had occurred. Why? Because of the joy that was afforded me because of the gift given to me from God in the form of a baby son. Yet, it was not what I did to deliver my son, but what was done for us on our behalf.

As my oldest son asked his inquiring questions, he began to ponder the fact that I did not actually suffer and endure long labor with painful contractions. Yet the results were the same as one who had endured a long labor, a baby was born. Even though he knew my scar existed due to him not turning and changing directions in the womb, it was as if somehow he felt slighted because I did not have to bear the weight of painful labor and delivery for him to be born. It was as if my experience of delivery was less because I was spared of extreme anguish. I found my thoughts shifting to Jesus Christ and pondering His permanent scars on His hands, His feet, and His side on my behalf so that I could have new life in Christ. We celebrate His birth, but His birth did not save those who trust Him for salvation. Rather it was His death on a cruel cross with hours of extreme pain and suffering at the hands of sinners. All for those He loves, who would repent of their sin, believe in Jesus and the work He has accomplished, and follow Him.

Jesus was the only qualified Physician, a perfect sacrifice, who could deliver us from death, and provide a new life in Him by His grace and forgiveness, granting eternal life by His resurrection. Jesus understood the seriousness of our need, valued us as precious lives, and recognized the joy that would come from His resulting scars of the work of salvation. Sin has affected every generation because of our not turning and changing directions in order to live for the glory of our Creator; yet God provided a way for those who repent and place their faith in Christ to be reborn. He has given us the privilege of joyfully telling this story of Jesus over and over of the good news of the Gospel to those in need of a Savior. However, the Gospel also continues to be for those who have been saved to remind us of what Christ accomplished on our behalf, so we won’t begin treating our salvation in Christ through His death as less than the powerful work that it is, because we were spared the penalty and wrath our sin deserves. Jesus became sin for us, bore that pain with lasting scars to prove it, so that those He saves might become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21) It is not what we can do for ourselves, but what Christ has done for us. Keep celebrating your life in Christ! Thank you, Jesus, for delivering us!

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like one people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him. Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished Him for the iniquity of us all…Yet the LORD was pleased to crush Him, and He made Him sick. When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the will of the LORD will succeed by His hand. He will see it out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with His knowledge. My righteous servant will justify many, and He will carry their iniquities…because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.” (Isaiah 53)